Social media can be a divisive thing. Some love it, some hate it, many of us have mixed feelings about it, and yet most use it at this point. Like it or not, it is the way the world stays connected in 2024. At the mention of “social media ministry,” some might cringe. Social media is a great place for silly memes, quizzes to figure out which type of breakfast food you are, and lengthy debates about varying opinions about Bigfoot’s existence…is there really any room for ministry?
Social media evangelists like Justin Khoe have something to say about this. Justin quit his job as a pastor eight years ago, to do social media ministry full-time. Since then, he’s grown his YouTube channel to over 121,000 subscribers, and his videos have been viewed almost 7 million times. He has partnered with several churches, conferences, and organizations over that time and His philosophy is that it doesn’t matter if the message is preached from a pulpit or on social media, as long as the gospel reaches who it needs to reach. As mentioned above…the people are on social media—for better or worse, for sometimes 8 or more hours per day.
The Wisconsin Conference is not on the cutting edge of social media evangelism, but we are starting to dive further and further into the realm as we report on more and more stories digitally. The Youth Department proclaimed 2023 to be “The Year of Content Creation,” and 13 young writers, as well as video creators and photographers, emerged to help make that a reality. This year, our hope is to make more headway into the realm of video, while keeping the writing (and other creative outlets that we’ve established) going.
There are official plans. Yet, there are plenty more unofficial efforts by Wisconsin’s young people when it comes to reaching people for the gospel on social media. Probably one of the best evidences for this is a quick search on Instagram. Here are the Top 10 Instagram accounts to watch, by Adventist young people in the Wisconsin Conference (in no particular order).
ACF OnPoint, @onpointacf
If you’re in the Stevens Point area, you’ll want to follow this account for information on the ACF chapter that operates there (ACF, for those who don’t know, stands for Adventist Christian Fellowship, and is the NAD’s version of public campus ministries). ACF OnPoint is the flagship public campus ministry in the Wisconsin Conference and hosts weekly events (and much more during welcome weeks). This is not a content-for-content’s sake account as much as it is a public bulletin board so that followers can keep up with what the group has to offer and when you can join them.
The Pursuit, @thepursuit.bs
If you are a single young adult, you’re going to want to follow the Pursuit for content about dating and relationship advice. The Pursuit is a podcast by Josue Peralta, Esmirna Peralta, and Michael Hughes. They have one season already finished and available for listening anywhere you care to find podcasts, and season 2 is currently in production (the debut airs Feb 5).
CrossPoint Christian Fellowship, @acf_la_crosse
This account is a must-follow for those in the La Crosse area. Like ACF OnPoint, it also acts as a bulletin board for the fun events the public campus ministry is putting on. But this account also focuses on inspiring content and reports on the fun community of young people there is in the area.
Milwaukee West Youth, @milwaukee_westyouth
This is a new account with only one post, but we hope they keep it up! West Milwaukee SDA Church (formerly La Hayes SDA Church) is a large, Spanish-speaking church with lots of young people, and we’re dying to know the exciting events that are going on in the community there. Stay tuned!
West Bend SDA Church, @westbendsda
This is not so much an account focused on youth ministry as it is a church account run by young people. Started by Micheal Hughes in early 2023, it is now managed by Jordan Clark, and regardless of the current manager, they have posted fairly prolifically. If you want to follow engaging Adventist church content (think: sermon clips, inspiring quotes, announcements for upcoming events), framed by young people: this is a great account for you.
JAHWI Federación, @jahwi_federacion
Recently revived from a 3 year hiatus, the JAHWI Federación’s account is a solid bulletin for upcoming events for Hispanic youth, especially in the Milwaukee area. If you’ve been in Wisconsin, for any span of time, you probably know JAHWI stands for Jovenes Adventistas Hispanos de Wisconsin (or Wisconsin’s Hispanic Adventist Youth), and they are regularly leading out and hosting various events for Spanish-speaking young people.
ACF Oshkosh, @acf.oshkosh
Unlike the aforementioned ACF accounts, the ACF Oshkosh account operates a bit more like the West Bend account in that it focuses more on local church ministry—specifically at the Fond du Lac SDA Church. If you’re looking to get involved in a church in the Fond du Lac area, this would be a great indicator of the ministry going on there, as well as a good connection to Matthew Williams, the young leader who runs the ACF chapter there.
Milwaukee Young Adults, @milwaukee__sda
One of the most vibrant young adult groups in the state can be found at the Milwaukee Central (English) church, and this is the account that connects you to what they’re up to. Full of inspirational quotes, picture updates, and bulletin posts about what’s happening next, this is a great account to follow to get plugged into the youthful community of Milwaukee.
Milwaukee Central Leones Pathfinders, @414_leones
While not updated regularly, this account offers a good look into one of our excellent Wisconsin Club Ministries: los Leones. Leones is a Pathfinder club that is directed and led by young people, and content here gives a good idea of the efforts that they put into leading the youth in their club.
ACF Wisconsin, @acfwisconsin
By now, you’re noticing a trend: ACF is pretty social-media savvy! While we look forward to more content from our local chapters in Point, La Crosse, and Oshkosh (and hopefully soon, from emerging groups in Milwaukee and Madison), there is also an effort to unify the groups so that they network and minister together as well. This account, so far, has served to highlight statewide ACF events, but aims to be a hub for all things ACF across Wisconsin.
That’s the Top 10 Instagram accounts to follow in 2024. Are there accounts you would add to the list? Would you follow these accounts? Let us know in the comments! We look forward to the continued youth evangelism on social media, in Wisconsin and around the world! We hope you will get involved and support, as you feel moved to do so.
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